mediacontact


November 29, 2017
LIRR to Install New Switches at Atlantic Terminal Weekends of Dec. 2-3, and Dec. 9-10 Train Service to be Suspended Between Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal; Cross-Honoring Subway and Bus Options Available For Customers
The Long Island Rail Road will perform switch installation work near Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn as part of its Vanderbilt Yard Reconfiguration. This work, a piece of the Atlantic Yards Project, will make operations more efficient by allowing trains to access the yard directly from Atlantic Terminal. Currently, empty trains that terminate in Brooklyn have to backtrack east about a half-mile into the Atlantic rail tunnel. There, they have to stop and then return west to access the rail yard for servicing and storage before being put back into service. This cumbersome process blocks other trains from using the tunnel for six to eight minutes each time, adding up to about two hours every day. The new switches, among other project developments, will allow for trains to bypass these lengthy steps, and instead, travel directly from Atlantic Terminal to Atlantic Yards, allowing for other train service to flow seamlessly in both directions. To allow for this work to take place, train service will be suspended for two consecutive weekends, starting from after 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, to 6 a.m. Monday, Dec. 3; and again, after 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, to 6 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 11. In an effort to minimize disruptions to our customers, the LIRR strives to schedule track maintenance projects during off-peak hours – including overnights and on weekends. The LIRR and New York City Transit are offering a variety of cross-honoring options – listed below – to allow for as convenient a route as possible. The project will not begin until all fans attending the New York Islanders game on Friday, Dec. 1, board LIRR trains from Atlantic Terminal heading east. On these weekends, New York City Transit will cross-honor LIRR tickets as follows: To/From Atlantic Terminal Westbound: Atlantic Terminal-bound customers should board LIRR trains to Penn Station, then walk one block east (toward the Empire State Building) to 34^th Street/Herald Square, where LIRR tickets will be cross-honored on Brooklyn-bound subway trains to Atlantic Av-Barclays Center. Eastbound: LIRR tickets will be cross-honored on Manhattan-bound subway trains at Atlantic Av-Barclays Center to 34th Street/Herald Square. From Herald Square, walk one block west along 34th Street to Penn Station for eastbound LIRR service. To/From Nostrand Avenue Westbound: Nostrand Avenue-bound customers should board LIRR trains to Penn Station, where LIRR tickets will be cross-honored for the Brooklyn-bound or at 34^th Street-Penn Station, for a one-seat, eight-stop ride to Nostrand Av. Eastbound: LIRR tickets will be cross-honored for eastbound customers to enter the subway at Nostrand Av for the Manhattan-bound or to 34^th St-Penn Station for LIRR service. To/From East New York For bus service to East New York to/from Jamaica Station: LIRR tickets will be cross-honored for customers traveling to and from East New York via the Q24 bus, which runs on Atlantic Avenue between Jamaica and East New York. Westbound: LIRR tickets will be cross-honored for customers to enter the Brooklyn-bound or at 34^th Street-Penn Station that East New York customers can take to Broadway Junction, and then change to the to reach Atlantic Av. Eastbound: LIRR tickets will be cross-honored for customers to enter the subway at Atlantic Av for the Manhattan-bound to Broadway Junction, where they can change to the Manhattan-bound or to 34^th St-Penn Station for LIRR service. For the weekend of Dec. 9-10, Additional Cross-Honoring Option on Subway Line: In addition to the aforementioned cross-honoring options, LIRR tickets during the weekend of Dec. 9-10 will be also cross-honored for customers traveling to and from the Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av-JFK Airport stop at Jamaica Station and Broadway Junction on the Subway line. (The train will not operate east of Crescent Street on the weekend of December 2-3.) Many Channels for Services Updates Information about the additional service noted in this press release and all planned service changes is available through the LIRR’s real-time service information sources: Email and text message service updates – Customers are urged to sign up to receive the alerts by visiting MyMTAAlerts.com. To avoid unwanted messages, a user can tailor the messages to the specific branch, and the specific times of day. LIRR Train Time app – Customers who use the LIRR Train Time app will see up-to-the-minute status for each upcoming train at each station. As a caution, trains that start out their trips on time may experience delays en route. MTA.info – The rail tab of the “Service Status” box at the left side of www.MTA.infois always the definitive source for the latest status for each branch, updated every minute. In addition, customers can visit www.mta.info/lirrto see special service notices in the upper center of the page. @LIRR on Twitter – Twitter users can follow @LIRR to receive updates of a similar nature to the email and text alerts, shortened to fit Twitter’s format. The above communications channels can be accessed while at home or on the go. For customers who are located at stations, the LIRR will post the latest service updates on digital signs at station platforms and will make audio announcements over public address systems, and on-board announcements made by train crews. For those who prefer the telephone, information is available from the LIRR’s Customer Service Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line, and saying: “Long Island Rail Road” Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the LIRR at 511.

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LIRR to Install New Switches at Atlantic Terminal Weekends of Dec. 2-3, and Dec. 9-10